2. The One I Despise

Now let us rewind just a little bit. Lunch. I know, I know, It’s a little overdone, but that’s where everything happens.
So, I’m in line ,waiting for the spaghetti, when Jen and the girls when my shoulder blades start feeling like ice cold water has been splashed on them. Only ten times worse. I feel a small gasp escape my mouth, and Tiarra stops in the middle of her complaining about her little brother to look at me.
“You okay?” Julietta asks, concern lining her face.
“N-nothing.” I shake my head, trying to ignore the feel of repetitive stabbing in my shoulder blades. “It’s just my shoulders.” I try to reach back and massage my left one, but I can’t reach it. Then, I feel someone doing it for me. I relax, thinking it’s Ethan. The girls giggle.
“Hey, Culver,” Jenny greets as she watches my expression. I freeze up, then whip around and smack Culver Michaels square in the mouth. Great, and now my shoulders hurt even more.
“Ow,” he mumbles, touching the corner of his dark pink mouth. He grins, though, his mossy green eyes sparkling. “Feisty.”
I scowl at him while the girls giggle again. “What in your crazy-a** mind, makes you think you could touch me?”
He shrugs, grin still wide on his face. “You look like you needed help.” He winks one eye at me. I exhale deeply through my nose, and I feel my face burn. The girls giggle even more which added to my irritation.
I turn around and snap, “Would you guys just chill?” The shut up immediately, and I turn to face Culver once more.
“Now listen, perv, I am not in the mood to put up with your bull right now, so please, for your sake, go away.” I stared him straight in the eyes. His grin disappeared.
“Yeah, whatever. Sorry for bothering you lovely ladies.” He shrugs his shoulders again, a bit of pink appearing on his well-tanned cheeks. He turns and walks to sit with the rest of the soccer players, without getting his spaghetti.
“Why don’t you like him, Bre?” Tiarra asks, once he’s out of hearing range. “He’s, like, super hot.”
I turn back to face the girls, picking up my tray of food, shoving his look of rejection out of my mind. I will not feel sorry for him.
“He’s just- he’s so- he’s…ugh! What would y’all do if he starting massaging your back when you have a boyfriend? Y’all know I just can’t stand hoes!”
“It wouldn’t make you a ho, honey. Just really close…friends?” Julietta replies. You could see the question mark on her pretty, pale face. Her dark brown hair was so pretty with her complexion.
I snort. “Really? Well, you know how fast news and/or rumors are spread around little old Dyersburg, Tennessee.” I put a big emphasis on the word rumors.
“Well, he’s even hotter than Ethan, Bre, and sweeter.” Jenny adds in. She avoids my furious gaze and keeps going, “I mean, have you seen his hair? And his eyes? And he has perfect teeth. Ethan is just… kind of plain-looking. With the exception of his muscles. Plus, you deserve way better than Ethan. He’s kind of an a**hole.”
I clench my fists, protruding even more pain from my shoulders. My eyes start to water for numerous reasons. I walk across the cafeteria and sit down at our table. I keep my eyes on my food the whole time. I open my water bottle after I sit down and take a small sip. I hear the girls’ chairs slide out. We don’t talk.
Jenny’s right, was my first thought. Ethan is an a**hole. This morning, he was mad for no reason. He’s a bad kisser. He’s really not that cute. I mean, he’s just head of the football team. It’s kind of a law for us to be together. I felt my eyes wander up and onto the back of Culver’s black-haired head. Jet black hair, mossy green eyes. Ethan: Sandy brown hair, and puppy brown eyes. Kind of boring….
Agh! I scream in my head. I’m not thinking about this, I’m not thinking about this, I’m not thinking about this…

**

I brush out my b**b-length, dirty blond hair and look in my vanity mirror. I stare into my bright blue eyes and wonder. This is the last night I’m sixteen. When I wake up tomorrow, I’ll be seventeen years old.
I wonder if I’ll look different, is my final thought before I climb into my soft, pink, queen-sized bed.
Boy, would I.

Better. (:
-K